Boston Baked Beans
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s slow-baked beans with pork belly, treacle and mustard — great on toast.
Source
Recipe Info
Servings: 6
Prep: 12h
Cook: 4h
Total: 16h
Ingredients
- 500g white haricot beans, dried
- 400g piece pork belly
- 50g soft brown sugar
- 45g (3 tbsp) black treacle
- 1 tbsp English mustard (made from powder)
- 4 cloves
- 8-10 pickling onions (or 2-3 small onions)
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight in plenty of fresh cold water.
- Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F/Gas 1.
- Drain and rinse the beans, then put them in a heavy, ovenproof pan or casserole, with fresh water to cover by about 5cm. Bring to the boil and boil hard for at least 10 minutes. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover with the lid, and simmer for about 1 hour until the beans are tender but not completely soft. Remove from the heat.
- Cut the pork belly into large 5cm cubes, leaving the rind on, and add to the beans. Stir in the brown sugar, black treacle and mustard.
- Press the cloves into an onion and add, with the extra onions, to the pot. Season with pepper, but no salt at this stage. If necessary, add a little hot water so the beans are covered.
- Replace the lid. Bake in the oven for about 3 hours. Then remove the lid and drag some of the pork chunks to the top. Return, uncovered, to the oven for a further hour. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve on its own, or with crusty bread (or on toast), as a snack or light meal.
- Keeps in the fridge, in a sealed container, for two weeks. Leftovers can also be frozen.